Distinguished musicians from Mexico, the United States, Costa Rica and France are listed in the line-up for Chapala’s International Jazz Festival, to be held Friday, March 17 through Sunday, March 19 at the open-air stage located on the eastern leg of the city’s waterfront Malecón.
Friday’s opening night program, set to run for four hours starting at 7 p.m., begins with a 45-minute set by the hometown’s Big Band de Rafael Terríquez, followed by Las Billies, an all-girl a capella vocal sextet from Guadalajara.
The headline act will feature famed Hollywood musician, composer and arranger Gordon Goodwin, appearing at 8:45 p.m. with Mexico City’s Camouflage Big Band. Closing out the evening is Mx Fusion, a contemporary jazz quartet also hailing from the nation’s capital.
On Saturday, the Adrián Oropeza Trio from Mexico City gets the show rolling at 7 p.m. with original compositions reflecting Latino cultures. Next up is the Waldo Madero Quintet, coming here from the Miami area to take the stage for close to an hour and a half. Originally from Queens, New York, Madero has performed with international stars Ricky Martin and Juanes, among others. Mexico’s internationally acclaimed bass player Pepe Hernández and the Groove Gang will wrap up the final hour.
Sunday’s show kicks off at 6 p.m. with Sherele, a Guadalajara quartet (above) dedicated to Klezmer jazz, a genre derived from traditional eastern European Jewish folk music. The group features French artist Nathalie Braux playing clarinet and accordion.
Next, renowned Mexican trumpet player Chucho López leads his Big Band in a repertoire of familiar hits from the Great American Songbook. Bosquejo en Riesgo from Costa Rica follows, showcasing a selection of Latino fusion tunes. The Barrami Jazz quintet from Tampico caps off the festival, performing original compositions crossing the full landscape of musical styles.
All events on the star-studded festival program are open to the public free of charge.
However, organizers from the Chapala’s culture department acknowledge that times announced on the official schedule (see ad on page 20) are subject to last minute changes.